The Drive for 30th

[Teroy]

Originally Posted by Hatter

It doesn't much matter where we finish. We all know the Oilers will finish 9th in the west and win the lottery.

Hopefully you're right about them ending up 9th. That could mean that St. Louis qualifies for the playoffs and we get the 2013 first round choice. The nice thing is that all we can drop down is one place.

[Ashasx]

Originally Posted by Hatter

It doesn't much matter where we finish. We all know the Oilers will finish 9th in the west and win the lottery.

It's going to be the Coyotes.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Ark2

What's the alternative? If a player is picked in the top 3, then he is already dominating whichever league he is in. What good is it to keep him there any longer? People criticize the Oilers for naming RNH to the team last year, but what else were they supposed to do? Stay in the WHL where he isn't challenged at all? How does that help his game improve?

For his case yes but more to physically mature. He's still banged up from last year with the bum shoulder and it's caused him to have a pretty underwhelming season as he looks nothing like he did last season when he was healthy.

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Originally Posted by Reggie28

I am worried the Flames will go off script at the draft.

There is no script.

Flames will take players they like. The top end of this draft is very good. Pretty much impossible to screw up a top 4 pick this year.

The paranoiacs who irrationally think the Flames will botch a top pick this year don't have any logic or history to stand on. The Flames have never had a pick as high as we will have in a draft this good.

[djsFlames]

When you think about it, MacKinnon (assuming we take him) could be seen as the next "heir" in the Nilsson line, after Jarome. Although we didn't acquire him in the return for Iginla, trading the captain solidified our picking in the top three. If we kept him for the duration of the year, we would have then kept Bo also, and likely wouldn't have drafted in reach of this kid. So in a sense, this could be seen as a passing of the torch by a different mean. (being that Iggy was too aged to land a blue-chip prospect in return, barring the result of that first round pick)

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by MissTeeks

Colorado Avalanche won't be tanking for a better draft pick, says Matt Duchene

http://www.denverpost.com/avalanche/...ter-draft-pick

That's kind of funny coming from the one team that has actually played worse than the Flames. As the Flames continue to lose I look at the standings and the Avs are still behind them and I think to myself how can a team be worse than this? They don't even have any of the distraction excuses the Flames have with all the trade rumour drama that has plagues the Flames all season. They just flat out suck at NHL hockey.

[$ven27]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

That's kind of funny coming from the one team that has actually played worse than the Flames. As the Flames continue to lose I look at the standings and the Avs are still behind them and I think to myself how can a team be worse than this? They don't even have any of the distraction excuses the Flames have with all the trade rumour drama that has plagues the Flames all season. They just flat out suck at NHL hockey.

Yes they're defiantly tanking, except for Duchene and ROR. Both those guys go 150% all the time.

[Muffins]

COL is tanking via the terrible coaching method.

That's the only logical explanation for why a team with that much talent is that bad.

[Hockey_Ninja]

Originally Posted by MissTeeks

Colorado Avalanche won't be tanking for a better draft pick, says Matt Duchene

http://www.denverpost.com/avalanche/...ter-draft-pick

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Muffins

COL is tanking via the terrible coaching method.

That's the only logical explanation for why a team with that much talent is that bad.

The team tuned out Sacco last year and the reason he hasn't been fired is that management likely really wants Jones bad. If the Flames didn't put in an offer for ROR I'm willing to bet they don't bring him back to help the team. It seems from the outside this tanking was somewhat orchestrated from above.

[Scooter]

Originally Posted by fotze

What do you do? What have been your successes? I imagine you must be quite a remarkable person, no need to be specific. i.e. CEO of Fortune 500 company.

Walmart Greeter!. Be Happy!

[VladtheImpaler]

Originally Posted by _Q_

The Flames were a mediocre team previously and are now a terrible team. There's a difference. TSN started ripping into the Flames right after the 2004 cup run and have been relentless ever since. It's now way easier to make fun of them because of how bad they have been the last couple of weeks, I'll give you that.

On the management front, I don't buy the idea that they are a bad group. So just because TSN says they are that makes it true? There are things that go on behind the scenes that nobody knows about. I would even bet that there are things that go on behind the scenes that even Feaster doesn't know about. That's how the business world works.

Hi, Ken. I believe TSN was picking the Flames to win the Cup or at least the conference after the lock-out, so you are wee bit over the top with the paranoia. They are a bad group because they are incompetent - rest assured TSN has not invented that.

[StrykerSteve]

Remaining Games

FLA (5 home, 6 away)
vs Washington
vs Ottawa
at Winnipeg
vs Pittsburgh
at Islanders
at Rangers
at New Jersey
at Boston
vs Rangers
vs Toronto
at Tampa Bay

COL (7 home, 5 away)
vs Detroit
at Phoenix
vs Calgary
at Anaheim
at Los Angeles
vs Vancouver
vs Columbus
vs Edmonton
vs St Louis
at St Louis
at Phoenix
vs Minnesota

CAL (5 home, 8 away)
at San Jose
at Vancouver
at Colorado
vs Vancouver
vs Phoenix
at Edmonton
vs Minnesota
vs Detroit
vs Anaheim
at Minnesota
at Nashville
at St Louis
at Chicago

Flames finish the year on a 4-game roadtrip.

[StrykerSteve]

Took a nice step towards the goal tonight by losing one of the games in hand, while Colorado managed a point against Detroit.

[Caged Great]

It's difficult to make up 4 points in 12 games. So, it's increasingly likely that we will have a guaranteed top 4 pick, which should guarantee one of Barkov, McKinnon, Jones or Drouin.

[stignasty]

So, will the Flames/Avalanche game be like that Little League episode of South Park where the teams are all trying to lose?

[FlameZilla]

We have a tough run of games remaining. I can see us winning 3 of them.

Calgary games remaining:


at Vancouver (6th in league)
at Colorado (30th & we have a game in hand)
vs Vancouver (6th)
vs Phoenix (20th)
at Edmonton (16th - in playoff mix & playing well)
vs Minnesota (10th)
vs Detroit (12th)
vs Anaheim (3rd)
at Minnesota (10th)
at Nashville (21st)
at St Louis (13th)
at Chicago (1st)

[VladtheImpaler]

Originally Posted by fotze

We need a magic number countdown. Really piss off the cheering for losses is for losers crowd.

Magic number for 28th. We have to be bottom 3 to guarantee one of the big 4. So, points won by Carolina/TB or lost by Calgary need to add up to 21.

THE MAGIC NUMBER IS 21

[Flames.Central]

The best case scenario would be Calgary getting the first overall and assuming Colorado is second and they swap picks (given Colorado wants Jones) and also acquiring Colorado's second round pick this year. This would give flames three picks in 15-32 ranges (assuming blues make it). And bundling these three picks and propose a swap with Floridas pick if they can get florida to bite. One can dream..

[GGG]

What is amazing is that we have gone 2-8 in our last 10 games and only gained 1 point on Colorado. It is amazing how bad both of these teams are. At least Florida has gone a respectable 5 and 5